-Chapter Twenty Two-

Bubbles In The Air

Fun fact: the biggest revelation of the story come as at the end of this Chapter. If you don't want it spoiled, don't read any of the appendix notes until you've reached the end!

Harry ran as fast as he could down the low tunnel. Initially he rushed forwards blindly but soon he became aware that something was different. With a quick "Lumos!" he illuminated his wand for a better look at things.

A series of pipes now ran down through the tunnel. Who had put them there? Confused, Harry continued down the tunnel until he saw what seemed to be an inspection hatch. Harry hurried over to it and had a look.

The pipe was full of the inky substance that the Master had been so eagerly searching for and it seemed to be being pumped along the pipe towards Hogwarts. had the Master or the Daleks put these pipes here? And speaking of the Master… Harry looked down the tunnel but could see no sign of the Master anywhere. Where had he gone? Was there another way out of here that he had missed? Determined not to lose his prey, Harry set off down the tunnel.

As soon as he was gone something stirred from the space underneath the pipe. The Master climbed out slowly, his eyes glinting in triumph. Now he had Harry exactly where he wanted him.

Harry carried on down the tunnel, by now convinced that something was seriously wrong. The tunnel had changed so drastically since the last time he had been down here. Had the Shrieking Shack changed as well? And what could the Master want from there?

Harry got his answer when he reached the end of the tunnel. The Master's goal had not been the Shrieking Shack. The Shrieking Shack was no longer there.

Instead the tunnel now opened into a large cavern, one of the largest that Harry had ever seen. The centre was dominated by a gigantic pool that was full to the brim of the ink-like substance. This was what the Master had been searching for. But why?

Movement up above caught Harry's eye. The room was full of several gigantic bubbles of the black stuff, each floating serenely around the room. On each one he could see a different area of the Wizarding World. Diagon Ally, St. Mungos, The Ministry of Magic…

But there were several smaller ones as well, each one containing the image of a different person. One showed Rufus Scrimgeour, sitting behind his desk and writing on a bit of parchment. On another was Mr. Ollivander, who seemed to be curled up in a dark place, looking utterly dejected. And there was…

Harry gulped. There, his face full of the self-satisfaction, was the image of Voldemort.

So powerful was Harry's hatred that his hand instantly went for his wand, but before he could do anything the image of Voldemort gave a start and the bubble suddenly popped into nothingness (1).

Deciding to explore further, Harry followed a pathway around the edge of the pool. On the far side, most bizarrely, was what appeared to be a desk. Harry arrived what appeared to be a large living area. It was indeed a desk, a writing desk to be exact. It sat on a small ledge that overlooked the pool. Harry could see furnishings around the area, like a hatstand and what seemed to be a mirror, but only contained the image of what seemed to be a thick mist. A small rug was on the floor, was well as some potted plants.

As out of place as they looked, it made it pretty clear that someone lived there. But where were they? Harry made his way to the writing desk. As he got closer a bubble rose up form the depths of the pool. Harry was surprised to see an image of himself in the same place copying his actions. As he watched it floated away serenely down a tunnel he hadn't noticed before. Harry was about to follow but something on the writing desk caught his eye. It was a piece of parchment and quill. Somebody had written something on the parchment. Harry leaned in for a closer look.

"Harry leaned in for a closer look. What he saw written down confused him but before he could investigate further a spell hit him square in the back."

Harry heard movement behind and on an impulse flung himself to one side. tHe spell hit the desk instead with an almighty BANG! but when Harry looked up he noticed that it did not seem to be damaged. Standing behind him was the Master, wand held out before him.

Harry instantly went for his wand but the Master sent it flying from his hands with a cry of "Expelliarmus!". Harry braced himself for a deadly curse and glared at the Master, defiant to the end.

But the Master was more focused on where they were."And here we are… the centre of everything!" he laughed. "The heart and soul of the world!"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

The Master grinned at him. "This cavern where we stand is the entire reason I'm here. Your entire world was born from that pool."

"The entire Wizarding World was founded here?" asked Harry incredulously. How could an entire society be founded in a single room?

"Not founded Harry, created. At some point in the past someone put pen to paper at that desk and the ink in that pool formed itself into your world, the inhabitants, even you Harry," said the Master mockingly. "You are all nothing more than a lump of Fiction! And I have come to take control!" He took a step forwards, eyes fixed on the writing desk.

Harry looked to his where his wand had fallen but the Master laughing again. "You are not real, Harry, nothing you can do will stop me."

"Then what are you?" demanded Harry. "And what is this place?"

"I am the Master of all!" declared the Master triumphantly. "And this Land is a world within the universe itself. Many people have been drawn into it and trapped, doomed to be the plaything of whoever controls it. Where are now is where you could say the Writer controls everything." Harry could see the look of greed in the Master's eyes. "And now it shall be mine. I have bested the Land of Fiction's trials and manipulations and shall be it's new Master. I shall use the Land to reshape the entire universe!" He took another step forwards, wand at the ready. "Now you can see why I shall not be stopped Harry. Stand aside," he said, his wand lighting up menacingly (2).

But Harry did not move aside. His mind was in a whirl over all of the recent revelations. He still wasn't sure of what was happening but he knew one thing: The Master gaining control over this "Land" would not be a good thing.

"But you manipulated our lives!" exclaimed Harry in an attempt to keep the Master distracted. Maybe the Aurors would arrive if he kept the Master busy… "You removed events, got rid of the owls, placed the Daleks in Hogwarts!"

"I did none of those things," smiled the Master, but Harry could see the confusion in his eyes.

"I did!" Snapped a voice from across the room. Harry looked over his shoulder. Standing in the opening on the other side of the Cavern was a man, his face obscured by the hood of a long robe he was wearing. "So, I see the famous Harry Potter has managed to fin his way here," he said in a tantalisingly familiar voice. "Unfortunate, but you will not stop our plans."

"Plans?" asked Harry, now throughly confused. What was the man talking about? And who was he? Harry couldn't quite place the voice…

"Our plans for a better world," said the Man solemnly. "And you will not interfere, Potter."

"The Writer, I presume?" asked the Master with mock-joviality, stepping swiftly in front of Harry. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am -"

"- The Master," finished the Man. "Yes, you have been a disappointment to us as a pawn."

"Pawn?" said the Master, outraged. "I am nobody's pawn! I am the Master, and I will take this world from your hands!" He suddenly raised his wand, but the Man's was already slashing the air. A wave of magic hit the Master in the chest and cut deep. The Master cried out and staggered backwards, clutching at his chest. But it was not blood that poured out of his chest, it was the same black substance he had been hoping to use.

"I-ink?" he gasped weakly.

"You are nothing," said the Man simply. "A mere fictional copy of the Master that we used for our own ends. And a poor copy at that." The Master leaned against the back wall, his eyes never leaving the ink pouring from his wound. He slid to the ground and was still.

The Man turned to Harry, wand still raised. "And as for you, Potter," he spat. Harry could hear the venom in his voice. "The Chosen One, going on adventure after adventure, driving friends and allies to follow and leading them to their deaths!"

"Who are you?" demanded Harry he was sick of all of this mystery. He wanted answers.

"I am someone who has had to suffer thanks to your corruption." said the Man, his voice rising in fury. "You took away the most valuable thing in my life," he threw back his hood, revealing the person underneath. "Do you recognise me now? Do you understand?"

It was Amos Diggory.

Appendix

(1) Bubblevisions used to be a popular form of television n the Wizarding World. However despite many attempts to improve them the bubbles were prone to popping at unfortunate moments, even during emotional moments like the winning of the Quidditch World Cup.

(2) Despite the rather dramatic effect this is merely a variation of the Lumos spell, simply making the wand light up in a different colour.